Playing in just his second tournament since returning from a self-imposed leave after disclosures of marital infidelity, Woods' difficulties are understandable and yet still surprising given his tie for fourth at the Masters -- where he broke par all four rounds -- three weeks ago.

Woods didn't make excuses about whether his private life is affecting his game.

"Every day I do media, I get asked it, so it doesn't go away," he said. "Even when I'm at home paparazzi still follow us, helicopters still hover around. Does it test you? Yes, of course it does. Is that any excuse? No, because I'm out there and I have the same opportunity as everybody else here in this field to shoot a
good number. And I didn't do it."

Woods put himself in a bind by shooting an opening-round 74 and then compounded matters by being unable to take advantage of three birdies on the front side Friday because he also made three bogeys.

When he bogeyed the first three holes on the back nine -- including the par-5 10th, which he would have expected to birdie -- it was unfamiliar territory.

"That was a pretty big deflator," he said.

Woods has a remarkable record when it comes to making cuts on the PGA Tour. The only other times he has missed the cut is at the 1997 Canadian Open, the 2005 Byron Nelson Championship, the 2005 Funai Championship, the 2006 U.S. Open and the 2009 British Open. He holds the record of 142 consecutive cuts made from 1998 through 2005.

There were plenty of other negatives. The 79 was Woods' worst score on the PGA Tour in the United States, surpassed only by the 81 he shot during the third round of the 2002 British Open at Muirfield played in a driving rainstorm.

His 36-hole total of 153 is his worst as a pro, and the 43 on the back nine ties his worst nine-hole score.

Among the issues: Woods hit just six fairways over two rounds and had back-to-back double bogeys on the 14th and 15th holes.

Now it's on to the Players Championship next week, although Woods first has a weekend off.

"I'll get to watch how it's done," he quipped. "I'll get to see how real golfers do it."

Asked if his problems were due to lack of practice, playing or mechanics, Woods said: "It is what it is. Whatever it was, it wasn't good enough."

Bob Harig is a golf writer for ESPN.com. Information from The Associated Press was used in this report.